


Friends aren't meant to hurt each other like this

by erinlightwoodbane



Category: Ghostbusters (2016)
Genre: A whole lot of hurt and no comfort, Friendship, Holtzmann is a sweetheart and needs a hug, Holtzmann is latino and from a Puerto Rican descent, Hurt/Comfort, at least for now, every chapter is named after a hamilton lyric just because I can, like me actually so sue me, poc holtz, she doesn't die i promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-23
Updated: 2016-08-03
Packaged: 2018-07-26 08:06:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7566595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/erinlightwoodbane/pseuds/erinlightwoodbane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is what would have happened if Patty hadn't been there with Holtzmann when posessed Abby dangled her from a high window and everything which happens afterwards.</p><p>This is so much more better than the summary I promise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tell your sister that she's gotta rise up

**Author's Note:**

> Holtzmann is a godess and I love her to pieces, and I don't like hurting her but i do. Let me know what you think of this and if you'd like to read more of this!

“Abby?” Shouted Holtzmann from where she was tinkering with one of her newest creations- an almost manic grinned fixed on her face as the machine in front of her let out a long hissing noise and she took a step back, pouting as if disappointed when her latest gadget didn’t immediately burst into flames. It had happened countless times before and it would happen again no doubt- Holtzmann just had a talent for making different mechanisms spontaneously combust was all.

Apart from Abby who had left to use the toilet a while ago, she was the only one in the lab- Erin had disappeared after their encounter with Mr ‘i want to take over the world’, Patty was down the street looking for any other food other than Chinese and Kevin was off doing whatever he did when he wasn’t at their lab- causing a neuisance for someone somewhere presumably. She loved him, she really did, but the guy was clueless.

After no answer from one of her closest friends, she sighed dramatically, throwing her head back and pushing her fists into the air like she was yelling without actually making a noise.

“Come on, I’m gonna go put Uptown girl on next and trust me, you do not want to miss out on an opportunity to dance with the famous Jillian Holtzmann.” She shouted as she walked, well,more like swaggered, down the hallway, singing lightly under her breath as she rapped her knuckles against the thin walls as she moved.

She stood outside the bathroom door, shimmying her shoulders along to her own voice and had just raised her hand to knock when the door flew open suddenly and Holtzmann was left with her hand hovering in mid air when she was met with Abby standing mere inches away from her. She blinked in surprise but otherwise didn’t react, not until Abby spoke at least.

“Jillian.” She said, and her voice was stiff and formal- everything Abby’s voice wasn’t. And besides, no one called her Jillian- Holtzmann, Holtz or Holtzy perhaps but never Jillian.

“Abby,” She replied cautiously, staring incredulously at her friend. Abby smiled, oddly unsettling and Holtzmann could only watch as she walked away from her and towards the lab, each step more robotic than the last. 

Holtzmann cocked her head to the side, eyebrows raised and eyes wide before she finally shook herself out of her momentary daze and followed after her friend, uncharacteristically confused.

She leant against the bench she’d claimed, gazing at Abby with her usual air of amusement and smiling excitedly when the older woman picked up a large curved pipe from the clutter of metal and spare parts. “I was planning on using that to make a proton shotgun but if that doesn’t work then at least we can use it for hitting things. Isn’t that cool?”

Abby nodded, a serene smile firmly planted on her face as she tossed the metal between her two hands, looking down at it thoughtfully. And that was okay- Holtzmann was cool with Abby messing around with her less dangerous equipment but when the former picked up said equipment and started using it to brutally whack experiments Holtzmann had spent weeks on? That was certainly not cool.

Holtzmann had never moved so fast- yelling desperately at Abby to just stop and listen for the moment but she did not stop and listen, only continued hitting the things Holtzmann had put her heart and soul into creating with twice the strength and showed no sign of stopping any time soon.

“Not my babies!” Holtzmann screamed, and sounded desperate even to her own ears before she threw herself at Abby, clinging at her shoulders in a weak attempt to drag her away. 

The thing is, even when not possessed, Abby’s always been a lot stronger than Holtzmann- not in the same way Patty is strong but still physically stronger than her though that doesn’t actually take much doing all things said. Holtzmann is 5 ft 2, she barely eats or drinks at all and as a result doesn’t weigh much more than 6 stone. She’s tiny and delicate and the slightest wind could probably blow her over if it weren’t for her friends grounding her- friends who are all much older and bigger than her, Abby included.

And so, when Abby turns around and shoves her, Holtzmann quite literally goes flying, striking the floor with enough force that it knocks the breath from her lungs. She doesn’t have time to regain that breath or much less think about whatever the hell just happened because then Abby is hauling her up by her neck, strong fingers digging into her throat as she’s lifted off the ground and Holtzmann’s never been so scared. 

It’s not Abby, she knows this now, but her proton pack is all the way across the other side of the lab and there’s not much to except yell before demon Abby withdraws one hand from her neck to hit Holtzmann across the face, knuckles landing right on her cheekbones hard enough that she sees stars. 

She wants to cry- she wants to grab her friend and get whatever ghost it is this time out of her and to be comforted by her but right now that source of comfort is staring at Holtzmann with one of the most disgusted looks on her face she’s ever seen.

Abby drops her suddenly and Holtzmann thinks that maybe she’s fine, everything’s okay- they’ll run off and send the ghost back to where it came from and that’ll be that.

Nothing’s ever that easy though.

Abby kicks her roughly, boots hitting her ribs over and over and she tries to curl into herself but Abby’s straddling her hips then, pulling her fist back just enough to make her flinch and then finally letting loose and from there it’s a blur of pain and breathlessness and Holtzmann thinks that she may actually die. 

If it were a movie they were in, Holtzmann crying out would be enough to snap Abby straight out of her possession but it’s not and so Abby just laughs, cold and emotionless and yanks her head up by her blonde curls before slamming her head down onto the corner of the steel lab table.

She does lose consciousness then, but it’s not enough for Abby apparently because a sharp slap to her face has Holtzmann reeling back into reality, face contorted in pain.

Once again Abby’s hands are at her throat, hauling her up and Holtzmann tries- she really does, but she’s just so tired and it hurts so, so much that her weak kicks at her possessed friend only make Abby laugh louder and she all but strolls over to the window out looking the city, Holtzmann dangling weakly in her tight grasp.

She pulls her arm back and thrusts roughly and Holtzmann smashes straight through the glass, hanging high up the city below them. 

Abby grins at her, “Bye bye,” she says tauntingly and lets go.

Holtzmann screams, sobbing because there’s a sudden drop that makes her stomach lurch before she stops, suspended mid air. She looks up just enough to see one of Patty’s hands gripping hers while the other attempts to fend off Abby, pushing at her until she’s bent just over the windowsill.

“Hey Patty,” she taunts and slowly, her neck and head twist halfway around her body and this time it’s not just Holtzmann screaming. 

Despite her apparent terror, Patty shoves Abby back into the lab and quickly pulls Holtzmann up from where she’s hanging so that she goes crashing to the tiles, grasping at her throat.

“THE POWER OF PAIN COMPELS YOU!”   
Holtzmann distantly hears Patty scream, and then the sound of flesh hitting flesh rings through the lab along with Abby’s pained yell.

Holtzmann doesn’t hear much else, her head is spinning and she’s still crying but now it’s much quieter because she’s so tired and the noises around her are nothing but white noise. 

She sees Patty above her, and briefly registers panicked shouts and the look of complete terror on her face before Holtzmann finally lets go of her loose grip on consciousness.


	2. We break and we make our mistakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holtzmann is still unconscious, Abby reflects and Patty offers some good advice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad so many of you are enjoying this! I'm not sure how many more chapters there'll be but I hope you like this one! Drop me a comment and let me know what you think

Abby doesn't remember anything. She remembers the lights flickering outside the hallway, casting shadows onto the walls, can remember running through the lab and locking herself in the bathroom, she even remembers the dull green light pulsing from inside the sink but from there it's like everything that happened after has been replaced by a blank slate.

Consequently, this also means that she does not remember shoving one of her closest friends through a window and letting her dangle from 6 stories high up and before that figuratively wiping the floor with one poor Jillian Holtzann's ass.  
She's sitting on the dirty floor, with her back slumped against the wall and her head in her hands. She feels sick, already has been as Patty can surely attest to considering she had unfortunately been right in Abby's line of fire but she doesn't move to lie down and try and sleep it off. She can't.

Though she doesn't remember what had happened a little over two hours ago, she can see the aftermath of what she's done and it terrifies her.

The thing is, Abby and Holtzmann are close, really close, Holtz is like a little sister to Abby and it feels like she's known her her whole life even though in reality it's only been a year. Their friendship is different to the one she has with Erin- just as strong but it's different in ways Erin and Abby could never be together. When Holtz was 30, Abby was 44, that's more than 10 years of age difference between them but it doesn't affect their friendship as much as Abby thought it would.

Holtzmann, when Abby had first met her, had just been fired from NASA for apparently being 'too much to handle' and had caused one too many fires and accidents. Abby loved her for her quirks, accidental arson being one of them, but those at NASA hadn't quite thought the same and soon enough Holtz was walking around in the dead of night building and constructing with that brilliant mind of hers with nowhere to sleep for the night. Abby had known she was undoubtedly a genius the first time she saw her and when Holtz had somehow managed to blow up a portion of her apartment block with only a pair of tweezers, some batteries and curiously enough, the stem of a flower, she had took her under her wing and they had been 'partners in science' ever since.  
Abby had been there from Holtzmann's first ever crush, a girl called Angelica who worked at the library, and Holtz really had seemed to love her. She was a little older than Holtz and they got on well but after Angelica revealed that not only was she straight, but also engaged to be married, Holtz didn't leave her bedroom for days. After her, Holtzmann never really seemed interested in anyone and Abby had wondered why until she had a run in with a particularly nasty man who had Holtzmann cornered, flirting when Holtz obviously wasn't interested and had thankfully dropped it but not before telling her she was too weird for anyone to ever love.

Abby had broke his nose and kicked his pathetic ass to the curb but Holtzy had still cried when they were back at their apartment, scribbling down new ideas furiously but her small hands still shook as she worked.

From that moment especially, Abby had vowed to never let anyone hurt her- Holtzmann had never had any support from anyone except her mentor and her parents had died when she was young and so Abby was all that she had at that time.

But Abby had broken the promise she'd once made to the eccentric engineer and as a result her knuckles and hands were stained with her blood.

Guiltily, she glanced up from her hands, gazing at the tiny blonde scientist who lay unconscious on the sofa, curled into herself. After Patty had somehow achieved in smacking Rowan's ghost from her, she'd gave Abby a dirty look and rushed to Holtz's side.

As much as the woman complained about her, Patty was almost scarily protective over Holtzmann and if Abby hadn't been so dazed, she would have been terrified of what Patty might have done to her but Holtz had been lying bruised and broken on the tiled floor, blood beginning to drip onto the white ground and Patty had been distracted by rushing to help her.

Lifting up Holtzmann's limp body into her strong arms, Patty had shoved whatever mess which had been on the sofa onto the floor and had carefully laid Holtz down onto the cushions, looking as if she were afraid of braking her small friend if she moved her even the slightest bit the wrong way.

Abby could hardly blame her.

Holtz was the youngest and smallest of the four of them (well, 5 if you counted kevin) and it was clear that Rowan had wanted to get rid of Holtz first not only because she was physically the weakest, but because she was a genius and that made him nervous.

Holtzmann always had a habit of doing that- making people anxious just by being smarter than them. It wasn't hard to do- Holtz had always been and probably always would be the smartest in the room.

Patty had cleaned up Holtz's face as best as she could, gently rubbing the blood from the gash in her forehead which, despite being small, bled an awful lot but it didn't seem to be anything she couldn't handle.  
At least that's what Patty had said but then her face had tightened, and as soon as there was no visible blood left on Holtz's face, she had dropped the ruined piece of wet fabric and disappeared through the main set of doors and it wasn't long before Abby heard the sound of retching from her place on the wall.

Yeah, she thought, me too.

Even when Patty had been in the room, she hadn't said much, didn't seem to notice Abby was there as she helped her friend. She knew that technically it wasn't Abby's fault but the sight of Holtzmann draped over one of their crappy chairs, looking so young and vulnerable as she slept and still wincing in pain occasionally and those injuries being delivered by Abby didn't sit well with her.

Still, it would be stupid and nothing if not petty if she just refused to acknowledge Abby and how clearly distressed she was by seriously hurting her friend and not actually remembering doing it.

"Hey," Abby heard Patty say and she turned her head as far as she could without taking her eyes off Holtz to look at the tall woman who had once again entered the room.

"Hey," She said as casually as she could when Patty squatted down beside her, shifting to get comfortable.

"You doing okay?" Patty asked and Abby shrugged.

"Apart from beating one of my best friends to unconsciousness and then trying to throw her out our window to her certain death, I'm doing great, thank you." Abby didn't mean to sound so bitter, she really didn't, she was mad at herself, not Patty and she knew it was shitty to bring that out on her but she just couldn't bring herself to care.

"Hey!" Patty protested incredulously, "Look girl, I'm just as upset as you but there's no need to get pissy about it,"

Abby sighed, running her hands through her hair, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap,"

Apparently satisfied by her apology, Patty gave her a comforting smile, "Holtzy'll be alright you know? She's tougher than she looks,"

That made Abby smile a little, "You've got that right, she's got a head that just won't give up doesn't she?"

"Then what's bothering you so much?" Patty gave her a pointed glance that made it clear that she knew exactly what was bothering her but wanted to hear Abby say it herself.

"I made myself a promise when I first met Holtzmann that I'd never let her get hurt, but now, because of me, I'm the reason she's hurt." Abby admitted and then quieter, "How is she meant to trust me after this?"

Silence filled the room as Patty thought, "Holtzmann would never blame you for what happened," she said, "I know I'm no scientist but I know that you believe in logic and the only logical person to blame is Rowan- he's the one who possessed you and he's the one that made you hurt Holtzy, I and everyone else know that you would never deliberately hurt her."

Abby couldn't really argue with that but she figured she'd try anyways, "You weren't there but I can remember her screaming. I was there but I wasn't, you know? She was telling me to stop and I didn't."

She didn't look but she could hear patty sigh, tired and more than a little exasperated, "That's the point of possession," She said, "It messes with you. Trust me Abby, i'd never lie to you about something like this."

A pause, "Do you trust me, Abby?"

Well she could hardly say no to that could she? "I trust you."

Patty grinned at her, "Good. So, I figure Holtzy will wake up soon and Erin will probably be back later too so we can all just talk right?"

Abby nodded, "Yeah."

She could only hope Holtzmann would forgive her.


	3. You want a revolution, I want a revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and gentlemen (and all other genders),,, the moment you've been waiting for,,, the pride of New York city,,, JILLIAN HOLTZMANN

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do I always write this so late at night? I'll update the chapter where they actually talk tomorrow but for now enjoy Holtzmann waking up! Hope you enjoy and drop me a comment letting me know what you think!

It took another few hours until Holtzmann woke up; more than three whole hours of Abby pacing nervously and biting her nails while Patty simply watched her from where she sat on the floor, altering between casting anxious glances from Holtz to Abby and then back again.

Abby let out an exhausted sigh, biting the inside of her cheek hard enough to draw blood before she reluctantly sat down next to Patty once more, fists clenched in her lap.

“Why isn’t she awake yet?” Abby asked, more to herself than anyone else.

Patty gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze, “I didn’t even know she slept, man. Maybe it’s a good thing.”

Abby stared at her incredulously, “How is this possibly a good thing?” she asked, voice raising as she shook her head disbelievingly.

“I mean, you knocking Holtzy around wasn’t good, obviously, but at least she’s taking a break from whatever the hell she does while the rest of us are at home sleeping.” Patty pointed out, and thought that would probably be the only time she’d see the blond scientist quiet. She wasn’t sure she liked it.

Abby laughed a little and Patty sighed in relief, glad her friend wasn’t actually annoyed at her, “I have to slip some melatonin in her drink when she hasn’t slept in a couple of days,” admitted Abby, looking just a tad sheepish, “There’s a pile of blankets underneath the bench over there and when Holtz is down for the count that’s where she crashes.”

Abby pointed over to one of the many cluttered lab tables and sure enough, when Patty looked properly, there was a small mountain of oddly patterened blankets assembled beneath.

“Huh, I’ve never noticed that before,” Patty mused out loud, and then frowned, “Why doesn’t Holtzmann just get her own apartment?”

Abby sighed, and it seemed as if it was something she’d discussed many times before this, “She can’t afford it,” she stated simply, “You have to remember she was living on the streets for longer than a year before I found her, if she could afford an apartment she would have one.”

Patty had no answer for that but her heart clenched almost painfully at the thought of the small, impossibly energetic scientist on her own with nobody to support her, just herself against the world with no one to protect her.

“She could move in with me!” Patty said determinedly, “I’ve got plenty of space and it’s probably more comfortable than sleeping underneath a table.”

Abby shook her head sadly, looking regretful, “She stayed with me for around two weeks before we got the lab and she didn’t sleep once. The lab calms her, I think she said, makes her feel more comfortable or something like that.”

Patty wasn’t sure what she would have said to Abby after that, but she had just opened her mouth to speak when her eyes drifted and she caught sight of Holtzmann’s hand twitching slightly. She furrowed her brows slightly, maybe it was just an itch or something, she thought, but then Holtzmann groaned loudly, pained and restless and both her and Abby were up on their feet immediately, practically tripping over themselves to kneel infront of Holtz who seemed to be well on her way to waking up.

Patty grinned, “That’s my girl,” she murmured to herself.

Holtzmann’s eyes opened first, blinking slowly and looking somewhat disorientated, the usual sharpness of her blue eyes dulled by heaviness.

“Hey Holtzy,” Abby said quietly, reaching out for one of the girls hands and holding it carefully in her own, maternal and soothing and it felt like such a private moment that Patty almost felt bad for intruding.

Holtzmann whimpered in reply, seemingly out of reflex than anything else. It was obvious she was in pain and the quiet sound she made had Patty feeling like she was going to burst into tears and Abby looked like she wanted to jump through the same window she’d dangled the tiny nuclear engineer out of.

“Shit baby,” Patty muttered, clasping her hands behind her neck in panic, at loss for what to do.

“It’s okay,” Abby murmured softly, using her free hand to brush a stray curl from Holtzmann’s eyes, “You’re going to be alright.”

Judging by how her eyes had refocused a little more from where her gaze stayed on Abby, Patty guessed that Holtzmann was feeling more awake than before and just sat and watched as Abby gingerly helped her sit up slightly to coax her into drinking some water.

Holtzmann did, though not without difficulty, and winced afterwards, small birdlike hands flying up to brush her fingers against where the bruises were on her neck. They’d started appearing as soon as Abby and Patty had her laid out on the couch, and had only gotten more dark and pronounced the longer she slept.

“Ow,” She muttered, voice strained and Patty winced in sympathy for the young woman, her throat had to be killing her right now.

Abby cringed too, “Do you want some more water to drink?” she fretted, already halfway to pushing herself up on her feet and rushing for the tap.

Holtzmann shook her head, a tiny slight movement but Abby understood her well enough and sat back on her heels reluctantly.

“I’m good,” She clarified, voice hoarse and both Abby and Patty scoffed, “It’s just a scratch.”

“Just a scratch?” Repeated Abby incredulously, and Holtzmann sent her a lazy smile, flashing white teeth before closing her eyes and swallowing tightly.

“Could have been worse,” Holtz said, lifting her shoulders in a small shrug, completely nonchalant before the casualness was ruined by the sudden shift in movement causing her ribs to shift too and she gasped loudly, her whole face contorted in pain.

Abby lunged forwards just enough to keep her from prodding at what was most likely broken ribs and instead gripped her hands tightly, muttering soothing nonsense under her breath.

“I’m sorry.” Abby said suddenly, on the blink of tears, “I’m so, so sorry.”

She ducked her head, bile rising in her throat but she didn’t have to look to not hear Holtzmann responding.


	4. Forgiveness, can you imagine?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our favourite nuclear scientist speaks her wise words of wisdom and Abby freaks out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update: Every chapter is now named after a Hamilton lyric which I hope at least two of y'all appreciate because editing chapters exhaust me.  
> I really hope you enjoy this and thank you so much for reading!  
> Please let me know what you'd like to read next!

Patty raised her eyebrows at the sudden, sullen silence which filled the room, pushing herself up onto her feet and moving to fill a glass with water from the sink to distract herself. She stood with her back to the two scientists, pretending to actually being interested in the different glasses in the cupboard while she not so subtly listened in to whatever would be said next.

From where she lay motionless on the couch, Holtzmann cleared her throat, mind whirring with a hundred different things that she wanted to say but somehow couldn’t. This was unusual to say the least- Holtz was known mainly, though not limited to, her lack of brain to mouth filter and when she wanted or needed to say something, she didn’t pause to think about what the reaction or consequences would be to that. She was a genius- and that brilliance she possessed needed to be exuded somehow, whether people cared or even listened to her was a different matter all together.

Abby listened to her though, listened when she would ramble for hours on end about science or whatever was in her mind at that moment that she could never keep to herself when she hadn’t slept in a few days. Abby listened to anything and everything Holtz would say, always gave her her undivided attention when others would have rolled their eyes and make mocking gestures in a kind of ‘There’s no fixing crazy’ way. And Holtzmann appreciated it, she really did, but when the words she wanted to say failed her and she was left vunerable, then that was when things would undoubtedly start to go sour because Abby was waiting for answers that Holtz didn’t have.

She thought a bit more, the only sound in the room being Patty rustling around in one of the cupboards, and wondered about what she could possibly say. 

Was Holtzmann upset about what happened? Yes, definitely. 

But did she blame Abby for it? No, not really.

Holtz sighed, glancing down to her lap at where Abby held both of her hands tight in between hers, with her body half curled in on itself.

“I don’t blame you,” Holtzmann said eventually, voice carefully soft but she knew it was still more of a pained rasp than her usual drawl. 

Abby looked up, eyes wide, like she couldn’t actually believe that Holtz didn’t hate her and hadn’t sent for Patty to throw her from the building and to tell her not to come back. She stared at the much younger scientist intensely, as if she wasn’t sure if she was joking or not.

“How can you not?” Abby asked incredulously, shaking her head wildly, “I hurt you,” She was terrified, Holtzmann realized with a jolt of surprise, scared of herself and of what she’d done.

“It was Rowan though, not you.” Holtz protested, she knew Abby was riled up and knew it was better to just let her ride it out.

“YOU COULD HAVE DIED!” Abby yelled suddenly, snatching her hands away from Holtzmann’s and leaping to her feet, pacing back and forwards with her hands tangled in her hair.

“Hey now,” Patty said loudly from the other side of the lab, crossing the room in a few large strides to pull Abby away from her aggressive pacing and to withdraw her clenched hands from her hair. “Calm down, Abby.”

Abby spun around, staring disbelievingly at the historian, “I can’t believe you!” She shouted in frustration, “Why are you making this seem like it’s not a huge deal?”

Patty wasn’t one to get angry easily but she certainly didn’t appreciate one of her closest friends practically screaming in her face, and definitely didn’t appreciate said friend making a bad situation even worse.

She grabbed Abby’s hands forcefully, and mustered the strongest glare she could to throw at the woman. “Will you stop shouting and just listen?” She hissed angrily.

Abby looked a little taken aback by the harsh tone but still looked ready to throw herself into another furious rant before Patty spoke, “You’re terrifying her,” she said quietly, “You’re apologizing for violence with more violence and that’s scaring her,”

Abby looked over to where Patty gestured, and her anger disappeared as quickly as it had came, but it didn’t stop her heart from plummeting to her feet.

Holtzmann was sat bolt upright, eyes alight with a wildness that wasn’t just her natural intelligence and was instead what could only be described as blind panic. 

“Oh my god,” Abby whispered mournfully as the small engineer scrambled backwards as far as she could when Abby moved closer to her.

“I got her,” Patty promised, moving quickly to sit next to the young blonde who flinched at first but then relaxed into her side, eyes moving quickly around the room and looking at everything but Abby.

When Patty gave Abby a gesture to take her place, she shook her head, frozen in spot but when Patty sighed and looked about ready to drag Abby over there by the back of her cardigan, she conceded and hovered uncertainly next to the older woman.

At Patty’s exasperated look, she sat down again next to Holtzmann who to her surprise immediately curled up at her side without any of the hesitance Abby had seen before.They’d been in that position a hundred times before, normally when Holtz was hurting in some way or the other but it was rarely Abby who had made her hurt.

“I’m so sorry,” She murmured, running a hand through Holtz’s curls, and tried to focus on the girl breathing and not on how her hands shook.

“It’s okay, I know it’s not your fault but I forgive you anyways,” Holtz said quietly, tense muscles relaxing under Abby’s gentle, maternal touch and Abby couldn’t help but smile in relief.

She smiled even more and even laughed a little when Holtzmann yawned loudly, wincing when the sound strained her throat but soon relaxing again and Abby took the time to grab one of the stray blankets from the floor and to wrap it around the young woman’s tiny frame.

Holtzmann fell asleep quickly, breaths evening out gradually and soon Abby was asleep too, holding the other woman protectively, both blissfully unaware of Rowan’s plan and the horrors which would unfold in just a few hours.


	5. Wait for it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're awake again, Kevin is possessed and Holtzmann is certainly not sitting back and watching while her friends fight without her. Just don't tell Abby that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah over 1.5k views and 100 kudos's! Thank you so so much for reading and for all your lovely comments, you have no idea how much I appreciate them so please keep letting me know what you think!  
> Enjoy!

“Hey! Hey guys!” A voice shouted, loud enough to wake both Holtzmann and Abby up and for Patty to be distracted enough to look up from the book she’d been reading and to glare in the vague direction of where the voice had came.

Abby had only been half asleep during the few hours of peace the lab would probably ever get and she was alert enough to frown in annoyance and move to swing her legs over the couch before she realized she still had an adorably drowsy Holtzmann clinging to her side. She smiled fondly, whispering something into the younger woman’s hair as she gently untangled her arm from Holtz’s surprisingly strong grip and pushed herself to her feet, sighing.

“Guys!” the voice yelled again, decidedly male, and definitely coming from the direction of the recently broken window.

“Who is that?” Abby grumbled and Patty shrugged helplessly, both woman moving together over to the window. They leant over the edge at the same time which meant that they were both met with the sight of none other than Kevin standing outside the building, leaning against a dark motorcycle with his arms outstretched at his sides. God knows where he’d got it, but the tan jumpsuit he wore, a near identical design to the girls’, had a name tag stuck on the pocket, ‘kevin’ scrawled in large, rounded letters.

“What are you doing, man?” Patty shouted down and Kevin grinned up at them.

“I’m a ghostbuster! I’m going to help you guys!”

Patty and Abby shared identical looks of panic, while Holtz, awoken by the loud noises looked around the room and yawned tiredly, stretching her arms above her head lazily, content to just watch whatever would unfold next.

“I don’t want to just sit around all day, if you throw me down my own proton pack then I can help out! Be part of the team!” Kevin yelled up, looking more frustrated by the second.

Holtzmann meanwhile, most likely snapped from her lethargic daze by someone like Kevin wanting to be let loose with weapons she’d spent weeks creating so they were as good as they were, shook her head wildly, looking somewhat horrified at the thought of Kevin with his own proton pack.

And, while she panicked and Kevin pouted, it became very clear to the two woman by the window that it wasn’t just clouds that floated around the sky then, but also a whir of pulsing green light which hovered directly above Kevin’s head.

“Kevin,” Abby said as calmly as she possibly could, “I need you need to come inside. Don’t argue, just get inside as quick as you can.” 

Perhaps she’d heard the hidden urgency in her friend’s voice or maybe she’d seen the light for herself, but for whatever reason, Holtzmann carefully climbed to her feet, eyes a little wider than normal and cringing at the brief wave of pain that wreaked her body but calmly grabbed their three proton pack’s from their pegs without so much as a sound and carefully made her way over to where Abby and Patty stood.

The latter gave her a disapproving look when she noticed she was up and moving but took her proton pack without complaint and not so discreetly passed Abby hers while Holtz casually slung hers over her shoulders, eyes fixed on the green spirit.

Kevin frowned from where he stood, “But I want to help!” He argued, sounding rather like a child throwing a temper tantrum when they didn’t get their way if you would ask Abby, “I want to do something for once.”

Really, none of them could have stopped it from happening, but they still yelled out when the green glow shot downwards suddenly, hit its Kevin shaped mark and rocked him backwards on his feet before he straightened up, grinning cockily and brushing imaginary lint off his clothes.

“For Gods sake!” Abby groaned as Patty continued yelling insults at Kevin (Rowan?) and Holtz flinched a little.

“At least it’s not you this time round, huh?” She offered, smiling a little and Abby turned to glare at her.

“Now’s not the time,” She said, trying to sound stern but failing, because she’d never been able to be genuinely upset with the eccentric scientist despite trying.

“I hope this guy knows how to ride a motorcycle,” Rowan said, turning to sit on the vehicle and revving the engines a few times before he shot off down the street, “He does!” he yelled in delight before he disappeared round the corner and out of sight.

“Oh man, now he’s got Kevin,” Patty said and huffed, “Are we going after him or what?” 

“Me and you will go, Holtz you stay here and wait to see if Erin shows up. Even if she doesn’t you stay here,” Abby said confidently, turning to look Holtzmann right in her eyes as she said the last part and watched as the small engineer went from excited to looking a little insulted.

“You can’t be serious,” Holtz said in disbelief, eyes wide, “You need me to come with you, just because I’m a little sore doesn’t mean I’m an invalid.”

Abby sighed, shaking her head, “A little sore is an understatement, Holtz, We don’t want you getting any worse than you already are.”

At her affronted look, Abby added, “Besides, what if we’re fighting and you collapse? It would distract us from doing what we’re doing and could not only endanger us but also the whole city. We need you here.”

That was a low blow, Abby knew that, Patty knew that and Holtzmann certainly did too judging by her expression. It would be the only way to get through to her though- and Abby knew that. She often joked about Holtz’s lack of self preservation but there’s some scary truth to that too- Holtzmann doesn’t really care at all about what happens to her but when it comes to her friends? She’s fiercely loyal and if it came down to it, she’d give up her life for any of them in a blink of an eye. That’s just how Holtzmann is.

Holtz sighed, looking unfairly young and small and Abby wanted to wrap her in a hug until all her pain went away. “Fine,” Holtz said, shoulders slumping in defeat.

Abby and Patty quickly ran after that and as soon as they did, Holtzmann straightened up, wild sparks setting her eyes alight with their usual fire and she ran (well, walked) as fast as she could in her condition and grabbed the proton guns she’s been working on and tucked them into her belt, grinning widely.

Please, as if she’d ever give up that easily.


	6. I wrote my own deliverance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mostly about Holtzmann growing up and her really sharp bobby pins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6! I know I said I was going to write Holtz's badass slo-mo fight this chapter but I got distracted so here's this instead! Leave me a comment letting me know what you think and thank you so much for reading!

Growing up, Holtzmann had been known to have more than a little bit of a death wish. Even since she was very young, young enough that she hadn’t started school yet, she had always had a habit of trying to play with fire or curiously running her small hands across spare pieces of machinery she’d found in her garage. She grew up reckless, was left on her own for hours or on some occasions days at a time while her parents left on business trips and she was unsupervised; left to run around the house shouting as loudly as she could and not have to worry about her father screaming at her, waving a bottle of alcohol in his hands angrily while her mother cried or to sit quietly and take apart old vhs tapes and mechanical toys before easily putting them back together, 80’s music blasting in the back of her head.

She was 7 years old when her parents died. It had been a long time coming really, her father had been an alcoholic even before she was born and people in their neighbourhood had often wondered when he’d eventually drive over the railing of a cliff or do something equally as stupid. As fate would have it, that’s exactly what happened; no-one thought Holtzmann’s mother would be in the car too, though, but she had been and she’d died five only five minutes after her husband in the hospital. It seemed everyone had forgotten about the tiny bundle of energy the couple had called their daughter who sat alone at home but it didn’t take long before Holtz was taken into care by social care.

She didn’t have any friends at the childrens home she stayed at but it didn’t bother her, at least that’s what she told herself, and it was a poorer part of Puerto Rico where everyone looked after themselves and mostly left each other alone so it wasn’t unusual for a child to be seen on their own. She had the science books her parents had once read and quickly became infactuated with the subject, but to anyone who met her she was just another orphan freak with big dreams. People said she couldn’t do it, she dreamt of fancy science schools where she could set things on fire and be called brilliant and not troubled, where she would study and experiment surrounded by friends who cared for her and would listen to her crazy schemes without judgement but mostly she dreamt of a future. She was going to be the first one from their neighbourhood to go to college, she would boast proudly, and people would laugh.

Still, they didn’t laugh when she went to their corner bodega and showed off her full scholarship to the Higgins institute of science and also a dozen other acceptances, smiling smugly with her bright eyes covered by an equally bright pair of yellow sunglasses. There were more classy and prestige schools than Higgins, obviously, but they’d told her she could cause as many fires as she wanted with unlimited equipment and assistance and even paid for her plane tickets to America.

There were no teary goodbyes when she left, no one who hugged her sadly but told her she’d do amazing things and could change the world if she wanted, and it occurred to when she first stepped foot on American soil that she was well and truly alone in the world. 

Surprisingly enough, that didn’t last long. Only after a week of Holtzmann studying at Higgins, she quite literally ran into Abby Yates, stumbling before the older woman grabbed her arm and gently steadied her. She took one look at the files and metals piled in Holtz’s arms, at the eccentric energy in her eyes and the wild curls of her hair, and grinned and asked if she would be interested in helping out as a lab partner of sorts.

They turned out to be very good lab partners together; despite Abby being more than ten years older than Holtzmann and a professor, she didn’t mind when Holtz would crash at her place for weeks at a time because she didn’t have enough money for her own apartment, and when by chance she eventually found Holtzmann out walking the streets in the dead of night, they eventually became roommates as well as partners.

So, in summary, Abby was the first person who ever loved Holtzmann for who she was, differences and quirks included, and Holtz had always considered the luckiest person alive after she’d met the other scientist. Abby had given her so much more than she could give back and Holtz was happy enough to have one friend before she ended up with two others. Against all odds, she found herself liking Erin, who was a terrible dancer and even more terrible at flirting and then caring for Patty who was strong and loud and brash and Holtzmann loved them all. 

She’d do anything for them, and giving up her life for one or all of them seemed more like a privilege than anything else so if there was a chance she could help them from getting hurt, despite she herself being hurt, then she’d take it.

And so, as she ran through the unusually empty city of New York, she didn’t think of what could potentially happen to her, only focused on finding the three woman she thought of as family amidst the chaos Rowan had unleashed.

Finally she spotted them, lying underneath what appeared to be a massive inflatable Mr Stay Puft, and grinned, just a bit amused at the sight, before sprinting over to stand behind the balloon, pulling one of her abnormally sharp bobby pins from her hair and brandishing it in the air like a trophy.

The inflatable, along with the spirit, popped easily when she stuck it into its side, and Holtzmann couldn’t help her excited whoop of delight which rang loudly in the quiet street, kicking one leg up and rushing to help Erin up who seemed rather unsettled by nearly being squashed to death by a giant possessed marshmallow.

Erin smiled, looking at her with something like awe and wrapped her arms around the smaller woman, who, though hadn’t been expecting it, gladly returned the gesture, clinging onto Erin’s neck for what seemed like hours before letting go. 

“Oh my God Holtz,” She said when Holtzmann pulled away, her eyes wide, “What the hell happened to you?”

Ah. Holtz winced, having just now remembered that she’d flat out ignored Abby’s warning to stay back at the lab and attempted to move out of sight of where she was surely glaring and answered Erin’s question as casually as she could, “Rowan decided to make me his new ragdoll to throw around is what happened- fortunately our darling Patty scared him away with her crazy strength so it’s all good, though we should probably go bust his ass if we’re still having a sleepover tonight.”

Holtzmann very pointedly avoided looking at Patty and Abby from the corner of her eye.


	7. Why do you fight like you're running out of time?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Holtzmann kicking ass because holy shit did you see that

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for reading and supporting me with this story so please keep letting me know what you think or even if you just want to talk and I really hope you enjoy this chapter!

Holtzmann latched onto Erin’s arm as soon as she finished speaking, grinning fondly at the older woman who smiled at her, eyes warm and affectionate and her breath, despite how stupid it may seem to others, caught in her throat, tears stinging at the corner of her eyes. 

“Holtz?” Erin asked worriedly and she shuddered, swallowing hard. There would be time for tears later, and explanations if she was really feeling like talking seriously, but for now they had a city to save- and a receptionist.

“I’ll tell you later,” Holtzmann promised, smiling at her and picking her pace up to a quick jog, Abby and Patty running to catch up so they all moved in a line, all suited up and looking pretty damn badass if Holtzmann had any say in it. 

Abby elbowed her, and Holtz turned her head reluctantly as she ran, looking as apologetic as she possibly could even though she wasn’t actually sorry in the slightest, but somehow she knew Abby knew that. The former woman huffed, but looked relieved enough at seeing her that Holtzmann knew she wasn’t actually mad. 

“Let’s go save the city and get our terrible receptionist back- we’re not going to find another one that pretty,” Abby said through pants, and Patty and Erin both laughed while Holtzmann grinned cockily at her through her yellow tinted glasses.

“Not unless I decide to become a receptionist,” She pointed out and Abby shook her head, exasperated, but she was smiling. 

“God help us all,” Abby muttered under her breath to only Holtzmann and she laughed, brushing a curl from her forehead as they all rounded a corner, Times Square as bright as ever but unusually quiet before them.

Patty grounded to a sudden halt in front of Holtzmann and she would have tripped over her own feet if it weren’t for Abby grabbing her arm and pulling her back in a way which should have been gentle but instead sent a sharp pain up her arm and she gasped involuntarily, hastily turning away from her friend so she wouldn’t be able to see the pain on her face.

“Oh wow,” Erin said suddenly, looking distressed at the scene in front of her which to Holtzmann, seemed rather comical.

While Rowan levitated high up in the air, thousands of police officers and army veterans alike stood frozen, paralyzed in an almost laughable half movement of dance, who knew creepy pale guys could have a sense of humour.

Holtzmann stood bored while he spoke, mind automatically tuning out his whines of how nobody had ever liked him and no one cared that he was smart or could ‘do things no one else could’ because honestly, she just didn’t care. Hundreds of thousands of people were smart, and usually people no one but themselves liked- Rowan wasn’t special, though he had built a portal to another dimension which Holtzmann found simultaneously impressive and impossibly stupid.

“Have fun!” Rowan shouted gleefully, and Holtzmann probably wouldn’t have noticed if it weren’t for the other three women stepping back cautiously and drawing out their proton guns. She did the same and watched as the past of New York city came alive; the most noticeable which seemed to be a giant 20 foot ghost of uncle Sam, George Washington and two dead FBI agents who stood aligned ahead of them.

“Yikes,” Holtzmann muttered as all three sprang at the same time, narrowly avoiding being hit by a pilgrim before she wrangled it to the ground with one of her proton streams, leaping to hit another, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

“You’re views on slavery were bullshit,” She gleefully informed first president of the United States: George Washington, ducking to avoid the swipe to her head which was made with his bayonet and quickly aiming her proton gun directly at his chest, pulling the trigger and stepping away to stay clear of the projectile slime which instead hit Erin straight in the center of her back.

Huh, Holtzmann thought, the ectoplasm always did seem to go for her.

“Holtzmann!” She yelled and Holtzmann shrugged helplessly, winking.

“HOLTZY!” Another voice yelled and she had no time to think about it before she was tackled to the ground by Patty, both turning to watch the sharp boomerang type weapon which would have embedded itself into Holtzmann’s skull instead dig into where a conveniently placed ghost stood.

“Thanks Patty!” She said, a little breathless, and when it was Patty who was chucked to the ground, her and Abby made quick work with Holtzmann’s recently engineered proton grenades, and she felt a small burst of pride in her chest when they exploded exactly as she had planned, showering Patty in its goo.

They could have fought like that for what seemed to be either hours or minutes, ducking and shooting and twisting and generally kicking ghost ass when she heard Rowan yell in frustration, throwing his hands out and releasing thick tendrils of blue fog into the sky. And from there, emerged another dozen or so spirits, some clothed in nothing but rags and others armed to the teeth. Patty groaned in what seemed to be frustration somewhere but Holtzmann was grinning.

“Forgot about my new toys,” She said, and in what was basically a reflex, drew the two proton whips from either sides of her hips and licked all down one side, “’les go.” 

And hey, if being a ghostbuster didn’t work out then at least she knew she could probably be some kind of gymnast or shit, because she’d always been flexible but she didn’t know she had the skills to gracefully execute a walk over while shooting at ghosts with coils of nuclear energy. Plans sprang up in her mind for improving her selfmade proton whips but they were working well enough as she span and cut one ghost through the middle before then going down on one knee to bring one whip over her head to cut through one spirit while the other swooped downwards and she twisted her body with the movement to knock a group of phantoms straight off their feet and back to wherever they’d came from. Motions became muscle reflex and she cut through another three ghosts effortlessly, and bent her body backwards, back arching almost as if she were dancing elegantly as she brought both weapons above her head and turned that Giant uncle Sam to a pile of ectoplasm and smoke.

“You just got Holtzmanned baby!”


	8. We gotta go, gotta get the job done

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More badass antics but will someone please just take care of Holtz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longer chapter to make up for inconsistent updates! I'm trying to upload daily but I just wasn't feeling it for the last two days so sorry about that! Let me know what you think in the comments, really hope you like it!

Holtzmann laughed in delight, ignoring her sudden head rush to grin at Erin who was stood by an overturned van, mouth wide open as she stared at her. She was looking at her with something like awe, impressed that Holtz, contrary to popular belief, could fight rather well when under pressure or in this case, serious adrenaline and when Holtz raised her eyebrows at her when she continued to stare, she flushed, wiping a piece of stray goo from her jacket arm and pulled herself up a little straighter.

“What?” Holtzmann asked curiously, cocking her head to the side and smiling widely, dark eyes sparkling with mirth.

If possible, Erin flushed even more and though she turned away, her pale skin stood out in contrast to the red that tinted her cheeks, “Nothing,” She said,voice oddly tight and Holtzmann rushed to jog over to her when she started to walk away.

Well, when she said rush, she meant that she tried to run as quickly as she could but didn’t make it very far before her knees buckled suddenly and she lurched forward, reflexively throwing her arm out in front of her so she didn’t smash her face into the hard concrete. The city around her spun dangerously and she grimaced, squeezing her eyes closed in an attempt to fend off the dizziness. She felt but didn’t see Erin’s hand grabbing her shoulder, and when the world finally righted itself, Holtz opened her eyes to see Erin staring at her, visibly panicked and repeatedly saying her name. 

“I’m okay, just got a bit of a headrush from standing up so quickly,”

She wasn’t okay- she felt like death personified if she wanted to be dramatic, and being dramatic seemed like a better option than throwing up all over one of her closest friends. Her mind was whirring and the ground still seemed to tilt but if she told Erin what she really felt like then the other scientist would undoubtedly make her sit out of the fight- for real this time.

“Are you sure?” Erin asked worriedly, and the tight grip she had on Holtzmann’s arm seemed to be the only thing grounding her enough that she didn’t keel over immediately.

“I’m sure,” she said through gritted teeth.

Still, Erin didn’t let her go- she readjusted her grasp on her, winding a long arm around Holtzmann’s waist and helping her stand, casting nervous glances towards her when she though Holtz wasn’t looking.

It was kind of flattering, actually.

“Relax Gilbert,” She said in what she hoped was a reassuring way, “Now come on, let’s go kick Rowan’s ass,” 

And as if the subject of kicking some creepy pasty pale guy’s ass was a signal call or something of the like, Abby and Patty both appeared from around one of the buildings, Abby looking down at her proton punch glove and Patty looking round the wrecked city center incredulously.

“Where the hell have y’all been? We thought you were behind us,” Patty called as she and Abby came closer, and Holtzmann shrugged while Erin turned to look at her instead of the two other woman.

“Holtzmann completely obliterated at least thirty of those things,” She said to the two when they stood opposite each other, eyes sparkling and her voice was filled with... pride? “I’m serious, you should have seen her, it was incredible.” 

She genuinely seemed to think so too, practically gushing about what Holtz had done when she was right besides her. Holtzmann turned her head so she could look at her, Erin was an easy person to read, but right now Holtz didn’t know what to think. 

“What can I say? I’m a pretty incredible person,” She winked at Erin, partially because winking always seemed like an appropriate response for when she didn’t know what to do but also because it never failed to make Erin smile. Abby and Patty, meanwhile, both laughed, smiling at her and warmth bloomed inside Holtzmann’s chest despite how physically shitty she felt.

“Let’s go,” Abby said determinedly and they all nodded before falling in line with her. Holtzmann couldn’t help but lean against Erin a little, hoping that she wouldn’t notice, but of course she did, though she thankfully didn’t say anything about it out loud, instead sending her a surprisingly discrete concerned look. Holtz nodded at her, though she was sure the small smile she sent Erin probably seemed more like a grimace.

She couldn’t quite get over how quiet the city was; apart from the occasional crunching of their boots on the ground or the infrequent roar of a ghost from far away, it was silent. Holtzmann had seen the military forces frozen in place before the fight but the other three clearly hadn’t- she wasn’t sure how, it wasn’t exactly a subtle gesture but she thought it would be best not to bring that up.

“Hey!” Patty yelled , breaking the quiet with her loud, booming voice, “Why y’all like this?” 

Erin shushed her quietly, but Patty didn’t seem to care, “Man something strange is going on,”

Holtzmann raised her eyebrows incredulously, really, she’d though her friends were smarter than that, “Really?” She asked, unable to keep the mocking lilt from her voice.

“Wow, good work fellas, your city thanks you, honestly,” Holtzmann heard Abby say from infront of her, and, as she ducked under an arm, she noticed that she had been talking to the two Homeland security agents from the mayor’s office. Curiously, she reached out and poked the old blonde agent, but unsurprisingly he didn’t move and inch and she dropped trying to get a response to him in favour of following Erin, keeping close to her side.

From the outside, the Mercado hotel looked the exact same as it had an hour earlier, tall and fancy looking, but there was a stark green light visible through the glass doors which definitely had not been there previously. 

The four women each took position at each one of the doors but before any one of them could even reach for the handle, the doors swung open simultaneously, and they all exchanged glances- nervous from Abby, Patty and Erin but Holtzmann merely curious.

“Oh no,” Holtzmann breathed when they walked in, and Patty responded with a string of curses- Abby gasping and Erin both gasping.

Perhaps ‘stark green light’ had been an understatement in hindsight, there was a vortex embedded in the hotel’s floor, at least 50 feet if Holtzmann had to guess, and from there emitted a nuclear emerald glow, releasing what was most likely a gas and also, but more infrequently, a new ghost sent to plague New York city. There were already a good half dozen flying around in a circle, no more than whizzes of light before they disappeared to God knows where.

She probably would have said something else if Erin hadn’t slipped suddenly, landing flat on her back and groaning loudly, more from exasperation than pain. Holtzmann reached out a hand to help but Erin had already jumped back up to her feet, flushing angrily, “It feels like the slime is after me, personally, that’s all I’m saying.”

No-one could really argue with that.

Abby glanced up at the portal anxiously, ”This might be a crazy hunch, but I think he’s got that machine up and running again,” She said, advancing forwards with her proton gun held tight in her hands, “Come on,”

Holtzmann didn’t hesitate to follow her, but as soon as she did, there was the brief melodic tune of notes from a piano and she barely had time to appreciate the sound before that same piano was hurled right at her.

Patty though, apparently had some sort of super human reflexes, the older woman grabbed her by the collar of her jumpsuit and yanked her backwards. Holtz staggered back, nearly falling before Patty quickly steadied her, breathing heavily and seeming just as surprised as Holtzmann. 

Until she remembered her neck.

Holtz had been doing her best to keep her mind off the state of her neck the best she could, and the adrenaline had numbed some of that pain but Patty pulling her back by the scruff of her neck definitely did not help at all and only reawakened the pain Holtzmann had been avoiding. She couldn’t help but gasp, stomach turning at the soreness combined with the pounding of her head and she tried not to let Patty see her wince before she spoke- she knew it would only make her feel worse.

“And I feel like Rowan seems to be after me personally,” Holtzmann said, rubbing her neck briefly, “Thanks Patty,” She flashed her the best smile she could and thankfully it was enough for the historian as there was nothing else said about it, though Holtz couldn’t help but notice Erin’s hand on her elbow, barely there and yet still unconditionally supportive. 

“Damn, I missed,” 

Kevin.

He balanced carefully on the railings of the balcony above them, glancing towards the massive hole in the wall the Piano had created and then back at them, jumping and then simply hovering in the air.

“Kevin!” Abby called in relief and Kevin (Rowan?) frowned.

“Is that what this thing is called? He seemed more like a Chit to me.”

As Abby and Rowan argued back and forth, they all cautiously spread out, holding their guns out and watching the former two talk as they prepared themselves.

“You know, this guy’s making me feel dumber by the second.” Rowan smiled serenely, “He’s all yours.” 

Kevin dropped suddenly and they all screamed, Holtzmann running too and stepping back when he landed roughly on Abby and Erin who groaned in pain at the man who lay limp in their arms.

Rowan hadn’t found anything to materialize as, meanwhile, and Holtzmann and Patty only caught brief glimpses of the green whisp of light before it disappeared, both shooting at it whenever it appeared but to no avail.

“You shoot like girls,” Rowan taunted, just as Holtzmann caught glimpse of what seemed like the reflection of a dead man they’d once met in the mirrored lighting.

“There!” She exclaimed, pointing, and it seemed more like luck when a stray proton stream from Patty’s gun lodged in the fixture, sending it crashing to the ground. Glass shattered across the floor and they took a step back, Abby and Erin standing with them once more after dragging Kevin off to the side. The light fizzed and spark, electrical green currents sparking from the wiring- Rowan no doubt.

And yet- “Look what you made me do!” Patty shouted, gesturing angrily at the broken light, “Come out here now!”

Rowan’s voice seemed to be coming from every corner of the room, “What form would you prefer I take?” 

Holtzmann hummed thoughtfully, “Something stationary,” she suggested, “Like, a target.”

“Or some nice, little friendly ghost!” Patty added.

“Oh, something like this?” Appearing out of thin air, was their logo, the same one Holtzmann had found at the subway station that day, animated and looking like something out of a kid’s cartoon. The ghost hopped from behind the warning line, spinning it to replace it as a bow tie even smaller than Erin’s. 

“Yes! Thank you for being reasonable,” Patty said, relaxing and nodding at the figure

“Well, it works for me.”

And suddenly, that sweet, cute looking ghost began to grow and grow and grow. It did not stop growing actually, but it did pause when it’s head made cracks in the ceiling, face glowing eerily and looking like something straight from a horror movie.

“Oh hell,”


End file.
